Iron ALL the things?
It's sad, I am officially too lazy to get ready to go out. New low. I don't know what I wanna wear, is all. Well, I do, it just isn't appropriate for the occasion. Grumble.
Because it is probably the only thing I will actually accomplish today, anyway, have a ficlet I wrote for elrhiarhodan's latest prompt fest. The prompt was "Elizabeth -- Queen of Hearts."
El has no poker face. It's almost sad, Neal thinks as he watches her look up from her hand, eyes shining unabashedly under her thick lashes. She's so smart, so stylish, not to mention surprisingly devious when she wants to be, but she just has this... disability. It's like a tiny chip in a priceless Ming vase.
He thinks she can be trained, though. Maybe.
"You've got two hearts. At least one's a face card. I'll bet it's the Queen."
Her face crumples into consternation, lips and eyebrows pressing together. Her eyes are so blue when she looks at him like this, it's almost distracting.
"How on earth did you know that?"
"You've got... actually, you've got a few tells. You blush. The corner of your lip twitches a little. Your eyes shine, actually, it's kind of beautiful."
"Thank you, Neal. But really, you can tell what cards I have by looking at my eyes?"
"I could tell your cards by looking at your left pupil. Subtle, you're not. Here, try this again, but when you're looking at your hand, imagine that your face is a porcelain mask." He reaches out and touches her face, smoothing his fingers across her soft features. "Cold, and still."
He shuffles and deals again, takes a look at the river cards, and watches El as she looks down at the hole cards in her hand. Better... for about half a second. Until her lower lip pushes up just a milimeter into a miniature pout, her eyes narrowing at the corners. No Queen of Hearts this time, that's for sure.
"So I take it you're folding."
"Oh, dammit!" El exclaims, dropping her cards on the table. "Peter!"
Peter stuck his head in from the study, looking bemused. "What?"
"Tonight, can we blindfold him again?"
Because it is probably the only thing I will actually accomplish today, anyway, have a ficlet I wrote for elrhiarhodan's latest prompt fest. The prompt was "Elizabeth -- Queen of Hearts."
El has no poker face. It's almost sad, Neal thinks as he watches her look up from her hand, eyes shining unabashedly under her thick lashes. She's so smart, so stylish, not to mention surprisingly devious when she wants to be, but she just has this... disability. It's like a tiny chip in a priceless Ming vase.
He thinks she can be trained, though. Maybe.
"You've got two hearts. At least one's a face card. I'll bet it's the Queen."
Her face crumples into consternation, lips and eyebrows pressing together. Her eyes are so blue when she looks at him like this, it's almost distracting.
"How on earth did you know that?"
"You've got... actually, you've got a few tells. You blush. The corner of your lip twitches a little. Your eyes shine, actually, it's kind of beautiful."
"Thank you, Neal. But really, you can tell what cards I have by looking at my eyes?"
"I could tell your cards by looking at your left pupil. Subtle, you're not. Here, try this again, but when you're looking at your hand, imagine that your face is a porcelain mask." He reaches out and touches her face, smoothing his fingers across her soft features. "Cold, and still."
He shuffles and deals again, takes a look at the river cards, and watches El as she looks down at the hole cards in her hand. Better... for about half a second. Until her lower lip pushes up just a milimeter into a miniature pout, her eyes narrowing at the corners. No Queen of Hearts this time, that's for sure.
"So I take it you're folding."
"Oh, dammit!" El exclaims, dropping her cards on the table. "Peter!"
Peter stuck his head in from the study, looking bemused. "What?"
"Tonight, can we blindfold him again?"